When the New York Mets signed Juan Soto on the heels of a trip to the National League Championship Series, many fans thought they would be contending year in and year out.
However, they missed the postseason last year and entered play on Friday trailing by 10 1/2 games in the wild card race. Their chances of making the postseason are practically zero, but Soto still wants to finish out the season strong, holding on to hope of a miracle.
"Finish strong, that's what we got to do," Soto said on Thursday. "We're not finished yet, we're not done yet. Who knows what can happen. Finish strong and carry that into October or the next season."
October would be more than a miracle for the Mets at this point. They have played slightly better baseball as of late, posting a 16-13 record since the start of August. However, their turnaround has come too late.
Even if the Mets miss the postseason, the season is not a complete failure. They found some young players they can lean on in the future. Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing are expected to be starters in the outfield on Opening Day next year. Jared Young, Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton have also had good seasons.
